Choro-Q (MSX)
Choro-Q (Japanese: チョロQ) is an arcade-style side-scrolling action game developed for the MSX home computer architecture by Taito under license from Takara. It was the very first video game made to be based on the Choro-Q toy franchise. It was only released in Japan and Europe in 1984, having an interestingly varied release; The original Japanese release was distributed by Nidecom on the standard ROM cartridge format. The main European release was sub-licensed by Taito itself and distributed by Electric Software on both the 32K cassette and Astron Soft Card formats. The Spanish release was separate from the rest of Europe, being individually sub-licensed by Sony Spain and distributed by Hit Bit on the ROM cartridge format. Overview Gameplay The player takes the role of a yellow Volkswagen Beetle (Type 1) Choro-Q, with a surfboard carrier on its roof. The objective of the game is to assemble two more VW Beetles while contending with hostile Choro-Q cars that intend to impede the player's progress. The enemies can be eliminated by jumping on them, similar to games such as Super Mario Bros. However, the player has a limited amount of power (like a timer) to complete the VW Beetles, which must be assembled in the right order; First, the chassis, then the motor (represented by a wind-up key), and lastly the body. When one VW Beetle is completed, it leaves behind a power-up (indicated by a coin-like icon with a dollar sign ($) on it) that grants temporary invincibility, allowing the player to plow through enemy cars. The level is completed by assembling both VW Beetles. The parts of the Beetles are on the edges of a three-level suspended platform system, and must be pushed off for assembly. The player can jump on the platforms to reach the parts. The player can lose lives by starting or performing an assembly out of order, crashing into a wall at high speed, falling from too great a height, colliding with an enemy Choro-Q, running out of power or being destroyed by an artillery shell. If the player loses all lives, it results in a game over. Controls *'Left and Right arrow keys' - Movement *'Down arrow key' - Brake *'Space bar' - Jump Scoring *'Movement': The player earns 10 points every second as they move through the levels. *'Pickup Truck': The player earns 200 points from jumping on this enemy. *'Tanker Truck': Worth 400 points upon defeat. *'Armored Car': An armored car that shoots arcing artillery shells in an attempt to kill the player. Worth 800 points. *'Assembly': For each part gathered, the player earns 300-400 points, with the value increasing for each level. *'Invincibility Power-Up': Worth 1000 points. Makes the player invincible for about 22 seconds before wearing off. To get this power-up, the player must successfully assemble any one of the VW Beetles. *'End Level Bonus': Determined by how much power the player has left over from completing the VW Beetles. 100 points is added to the player's score with each unit of power remaining. Trivia *The 1980 copyright date listed beneath the game's title on the Japanese version’s front cover does not refer to the release date year of the game, but in fact, the establishment year of the Choro-Q brand itself. The actual release date year of the game was 1984 as stated above. *Unusually, the Astron Soft Card release's artwork depicts the yellow VW Beetle protagonist vehicle as being highly anthropomorphic in nature. It has a "face" made up of the headlights as eyes; the badge as a nose; and the front bumper serving as a mouth, depicted in a wide smile formation. As this artwork does not match the depiction of the player vehicle in the game itself, it is possible this was a marketing decision made by Electric Software for the main European release, likely to appeal to Western audiences. *For Spain's individual release, the game was uniquely marketed under the title of Buggy (MSX). **More so than the main European release, the individual Spanish release has even more unusual artwork on its front cover outlay. Instead of the yellow VW Beetle protagonist, the vehicle depicted more resembles a blue VW Beetle Baja Buggy, complete with open top and a back rollbar. It appears to be travelling across a desert area, as if in an off-road rally racing event, whereas in the game you simply travel across suspended platform sections. Finally, most strange of all is the vehicle has a human driver, dressed up in what resembles old-fashioned racing and rallying attire. Human characters are not normally a part of the game in any form, and only features Choro-Q vehicles, which are sentient and able to drive themselves. This was possibly a marketing decision made by either the Sony of Spain sub-licensor or the Hit Bit distribution company, despite the artwork not being in any way faithful to the game’s true nature and content. Gallery *Image credits to http://www.generation-msx.nl/software/taito/choroq/release/556/%7Cgeneration-msx.nl for Europe version contents and owner of Spain version. Game Version Contents Images File:Choro-Q MSX Back Box Art.jpg|Japan Back Box Art File:Choro-Q MSX Full Box Outlay.jpg|Japan full box art outlay File:Choro-Q MSX Japan ROM Cartridge Front.jpg|Japan ROM cartridge front File:Choro-Q MSX Japan ROM Cartridge Top.jpg|Japan ROM cartridge top File:Choro-Q MSX Europe Softcard Front Slipcase Art.jpg|Europe Soft Card front slipcase art File:Choro-Q MSX Europe Softcard Front.jpg|Europe Soft Card front File:Choro-Q MSX Europe Softcard Manual Outlay.jpg|Europe Soft Card manual outlay File:Choro-Q MSX Europe 32K Cassette Tape Front.jpg|Europe 32K cassette front File:Buggy MSX Spain Front Box Art.jpg|Spain front box art File:Buggy MSX Spain Back Box Art.jpg|Spain back box art Screenshots No images yet Category:Games Category:Choro-Q (MSX) Category:Discontinued